Process and apparatus for making asphaltum.



M. J. TRUMBLE.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ASPHALTUM.

APPLlCATlON FILED SEPT. 16, I912.

Patented May 9, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ASPHALTUM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16. 1912.

Patented May 9, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Unrrnn STATEPATE1T oration IVIILON JAMES TRUMBL'E, 0F ARTESIA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY Il/[ESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO SIMPLEX REFINING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF-CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS AND APIFARATUS FOR MAKING ASPHALT UM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentjqefl May 9, 1916;

Application filed September 16, 1912. Serial No. 720,687.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, MILON JAMns TRUM- BLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Artesia, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Process and Apparatus for Making Asphaltum, of which the following is a specification.

In the ordinary process of making asphaltum from natural oil or bituminous materials, the same is subjected to heat in a closed vessel or still, and the more volatile oils or constituents are vaporized and carried off through a vapor outlet, the entire process of reducing the volatile constituents being carried on in asphaltum has reached the desired degree of hardness. I am aware that air as well as steam has been commonly used in such operation to aid or hasten the carrying 05 of such volatile oils. In all such instances, however, it is necessary to raise the temperature to a high degree and when it is desired to produce asphaltum from asphaltic oils, such as those produced in California, of a hardness suitable for street pavement work, the temperature is often raised to from 700 to 900 degrees F. In the operation just described great care must be exercised by the still operator to prevent burning of ing thereof and the attendant liberation of free carbon, and furthermore owing to the difference in treatment, time of treatment and the inability of the still man to sample the product in the still to determine its condition, it is generally impossible to get any two batches of asphaltum from the stills in the same condition; one still run qualities.

will vary from another in density as proven by the penetration test, but generally the bon in the product which, if present toany degree, destroys the life of the asphaltum and makes it short or low in ductile manner of treatment from 36 to 60 hours time is required to finish a still of asphaltum; Generally such stills are soon blistered upon the bottom from-being subjected to such high temperature for such a long period-of time, and when so blistered must the one still until the the asphaltum or producing a crack reatest obstacle is the presence 'of free 'car- Furthermore in the ordinary be put out of commission until they are re; paired by patching.

One object of my invention is to provide a process for making asphaltum which will not require high temperatures in the'production thereof and which will not require that the material be subjected to the heat vide a proc'ess for making asphaltum con tinuously and enable the operator at any time to ascertain the character of the product and therefore produce a regular and uniform grade of asphaltum.

Another object of my invention is to provide a process for making asphaltum which can be so varled or regulated as required to produce any quality of asphaltum desiredwithout altering the temperature of the heating agent.

Another obj vide an apparatus for producing asphaltum continuously and of any grade desired, free of free carbon and at a less expense than heretofore required. I

Another object of my invention is torprovide an apparatus for making asphaltum ect of my invention is to pro- I which will' be cheap to install and operate and which will have great capacity.-

j My invention in part consists in heating the asphaltum base material in a closed'retort to a temperature suflicient to volatilize the major portion of the lightest vaporizable oils contained in the crude or base material, admitting such base material to. an expand ing chamberand maintaining the temperaturethereof and finally allowing'the said material to flow over a heating mediuin for a distance and injecting steamtinto the flowing mass to carry ofl any remaining oils desired.

My invention in viding an apparatus whereby abody of flowing \asphaltum base material may be heated under confinement,-introduced into an expanding chamber where a portion of part also consists in pro-.

the "vapors are drawnofi' and finally caused totravel for a considerable distance during paratus.

to show the interior.

which travel the material is subjected to the refining action of steam to drive ofi' the the apparatus which I have found in prac-' tice to be best fitted for carrying out my invention.

" Figure 1 is 'a vertical section of the ap- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the reducer, the greater portion of the top and floor of vapor'chambers being removed cross section of the reducer taken on line The asphaltum material to be treated is prime heater 1 which, asshown, consistsof two tubular retorts 2 .and 3 which are con- -nected by suitable pipe at one end so that the material introduced into retort 2 flows therethrough and into retort 3 from which it passes by means of pipe 4, through the vapor column 5 and delivers into the to i of the evaporator 17.

The form of evaporator herein shown differs slightly from that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 996,736 issued July 4th, 1911. The evaporator is arranged vertically in ,the stack or flue 16 of the prime heater so that the temperature vof the v material in the evaporator is raised to a sufficient degree to drive off the'greater percentage of the volatile oils. The material flowing into the evaporator through the conductor 4 is deflected by the hood 18 which operates to distributeit in a thin film over the walls of the evaporator, in which condition the volatile oils are readily liberated.

Equalizing spreaders 23 are supported cen-.

trally in the evaporator upon the vapor outlet pipe 24, which is provided with apertures 25, occurring beneath the Spreaders, to allow the passage of the vapors into the pipe 24, from which they are conducted through the vapor legs 26 into the vapor column 5Q The material from which the vapors have been liberated, passes downwardly over the walls of the evaporator and is collected in the-bottom 27 thereof, from which it is drawn by the pipe 28 and passes into the header 29. Connected to the header 29 are a plurality of conductors 30 provided with valves 31 so that the amount of material passing through the various conductors 30 may be regulated. 5

The -reduger 32, as shown, consists of a rectangular structure of sheet metal having the lower part thereof subdividedinto six 1 intercommunicating compartments, such as "33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38, such compartments being formed by.the side walls 39 and 40 and walls 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45 and the bottom 46 and floor 47'of the vapor chambers 48 and 49. The heating pipes 30 pass lonthe reducer.

vided to regulate or control the passage of material through the pipe 53 into :the re-i Fig. 3 isa vertical ducer. A pipe 55 leads from the T 51,

ments, and head into a collecting head 50at the opposite end of such reducer to that upon which is located the header 29.

A T 51 is provided at one end of the header, 50, and a pipe 52 leads from such T into the delivery pipe "53 which delivers the material into the first compartment 33 of A valve 54 in pipe 53 is prowhereby the material may be out directly into a tank without passing through the reducing process as when making road oils. A valve 57 is arranged to control the passage of material through such pipe 55.

A steam header pipe 58 having a plurality of steam pipes 59 heading thereinto is arranged at one end of the reducer and furnishes steam to each of said pipes 59. Said steam pipes are perforated along their length and enter the reducer through one end thereof and traversethe several compartments longitudinally and deliver steam thereto. Preferably such steam pipes are arranged parallel to the heating pipes 30 and are slightly above the same, but the same may be arranged beneath such heating pipes 30 and thereby accomplish the end attained by my invention. Valves 60 are provided, one for each steam pipe 59, to regulate the amount of steam delivered intothe several compartments.

The hot material flowing outwardly from the bottom of the evaporator through pipe 28 is conducted into the header 29 from' which it is fed to the several heating compartments 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 heats the same, and by so doing gives up a certain amount of heat, and when delivered back into compartment 33 by pipe 53 is ready to' again absorb heat from the heating pipe lying within that compartment- Upon being admitted to such compartment 33 the material flows the full length thereof and fills the same up to the level of the perforation 61 in the wall 41 and flows the length of ments, it is in constant contact with the sev- 4 eral heating pipes 30 and the temperature of such material is maintained. Steam is admitted to each compartment through the pipes 59 which are perforated throughout their entire length within the compartments.

The steam is supplied at a temperature equal to or slightly higher than the temperature of the material in the conductors 30, so that it assists in maintaining the temperature of the material in the compartments. steam acts to agitate the material and serves as a vehicle to carry oil the oilsin the mate- The I 60 rying the two above mentioned heated me of the steam the quicker'the action of reducing and the consequent carrying off of the oils which-soften the asphaltum. The material flows from compartment to compartment throughout the entire series thereof,

if desired, and is treated in each compartment to the actionof the steam fromeach of the several steam pipes and is also heated by the several heating pipes and the reduced material is drawn finally from compartment 38 by pipe 63.

An outlet 64 Fig. 3 from compartment 34 is provided, through which all or a portion of the material being treated may be drawn when it is desired to produce a soft asphaltum, such as that which is commonly called a heavy road oil or flux. A like outlet 65 is provided from compartment 36 from which all or a part of the asphaltum may be drawn when a product of more asphaltum contents is required than that from outlet 64.

The steam passing intoeach of the sev-' 80 which consists of the vapor pipe 68 ar-- ranged centrally within a pipe 72. The space between such vapor pi e 68 and pipe 72 is filled by means of inlet 3 with a cooling liquid, such as water. i

A jacket pipe 74 Fig. l surrounds the vapor line 75 which receives its vapor from the vapor column 5. The space between such pipe 74 and vapor line 75 is filled with the oil or other material to be reduced, by means-of inlet 76, and when oil is supplied to inlet 76 the same flows through pipe 74 .to the outlet 77 and through pipe 78 into the jacket 79 which receives the hot finished material flowing from the reducer through either of the outlets 64 or 65 or from the outlet pipe 63. Thus it Willbe observed that the oil or other material being fed to the retort heaters is first caused to absorb heat from the hot vapors flowing from the evaporator and then to absorb heat from the hot treated asphaltum, and during its passage and contact with the pipes cardiums, the oil or material becomes heated to a degree nearly suflicient to throw off the required amount of volatile oils and does not require a great amount of heat from the first which is supplied to retort tubes 2 and 3. a I

The several compartments 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 form with the perforation through the several walls 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45 a long narrow canal or course which is traversed by' the flowing material to be reduced and while flowing through such course it is caused to travel over the hot pipes 30, Whereby the temperature is maintained, and by subjecting such flowing material to the action of steam from the steam pipes the same is agitated and the volatile oils, such as the neutral or lubricating oils, are carried off by the steam as the material progresses along the course. The reducing action of the treatment may be continued throughout the entire length of the several compartments or may be arrested at either of the outlets 64 or 65 according to the character of asphaltum desired.

In actual practice I have found that heating an asphaltum oil of 12 degrees B. gravity to a temperature of 500 degrees F. in the retorts and taking off the lighter vapors in an evaporator of the character shown and described that the remainder thereof is readily reduced to hard asphaltum by passing the same through a reducer such as shown having siX compartments each twelve feet in length, or in passing such material over about seventy-two feet of heater pipe and meanwhile subjecting such flowing body to the agitating action of steam. Furthermore, I believe myself to be the first to progressivel treat a moving body of asphaltic material to reduce the same to the asphaltic contents desired, and I consider that my invention includes any and all forms of treatment of asphaltum containing materials where the same is reduced progressively while traversing any channel or conduit.

Air may be substituted for steam as the reducing agent within the reducer compartments, and I desire to be understood as including its use as a substitute for steam as being within the scope of my invention, but I have found that by the use of steam as the reducing medium that the asphaltum produced is of a much better quality than that produced by air.

By the term reducing device herein release, before being passed over'the heating medium.

What I claim is j 1. An apparatus for the manufacture ofasphaltum from an asphaltum base material,

veying the material toand through. said device, a prolongation of said conduit beyond the reducing device arranged to discharge the material into the device and permit it to flow over the conduit whereby the temperature of the material is maintained,

means for liberating vapors from the material and means for conveying them from the reducing device. 2. An apparatus for the manufacture of asphaltum from asphaltum base material, comprising means for heating the material to liberate vapors therefrom, a reducing device, a closed conduit for conducting the hot materialthrough the reducing device, a prolongation of said conduit arranged to discharge the material into the reducing device and permit it to flow in contact with the closed conduit whereby its temperature is maintained, means for admitting steam below the surface of the material in the reducing device whereby the material is agitated and vapors are liberated therefrom.

3.-In an apparatus for the manufacture of asphaltum from an asphaltum base material, a heater, means for supplyingsuch heater with a constant supply of material, an evaporator,,means for conveying a ma terial from the heater to such evaporator, a vapor outlet from the evaporator, outlet means from the evaporator for the asphaltic material, a reducer adjacent to such evaporator, means for conducting the asphaltic material from the material outlet of the evaporator to the reducer, means for conducting the hot asphaltic material through the'reducer whereby the same may flow over the conto impart heat thereto, return means for returning the asphaltic material to the reducer,

ducting means, and means for admitting a reducing agent into the flowing asphaltic material whereby the volatile oils are removed therefrom progressively as such material proceeds through the reducer.

4. In an apparatus for the manufacture of asphaltum from an asphaltum base material, a heater for such material, means for furnishing. a steady supply of heated material from such heater, an evaporator adapted to receive the heated material from the heater, outlet means from the evaporator, a reducer adjacent to such evaporator,

and means for conveying the unevaporated' material'from the evaporator to the reducer, a plurality of interc'ommunicatirig compartments in the reducer, means for conducting a portion of the hot asphaltic material through each ofsuch compartments, means/ for delivering such material into one of the compartments to flow over the conducting means Within such compartment, means. for admitting a reducing agent along such compartment and within the body of flowing asphaltic material and outlet means from such compartment to permit the escape of the reducing agent and the volatile oils carried thereby.

5. In an apparatus for the manufacture of asphaltum from an asphaltic base material, a heater adapted to supply a constant supply of hot asphaltic base material to be reduced, an evaporator arranged to receive the supply from the heater, and lib erate a portion of the volatile Oils therefrom, a reducer adjacent to such evaporator and adapted to receive such material therefrom, a conduit within the reducer adapted to receive the asphaltic material from the evaporator and to permit the same to flow therealong, a heating medium within the channel arranged to heat. the flowing asphaltic material, and means for admitting a reducing liquid below the surface of the flowing asphaltic material whereby the remaining volatile oils in the material are progressively carried off as the material progresses along the channel.

6. A process of reducing asphaltic base materials to refined asphaltum which includes the following steps in the order named,v first, heating said base mater als, second, allowing said materials to flow in a vertical thin film overa heated surface so that vapors may be driven therefrom, third, allowing the materials from which the vaporshave been extracted to flow through a closed conduit, and fourth, allowing the materials to flow over the exterior of said conduit so that a further distillation takes place therefrom.

7. A process of reducing asphaltic base 'materials to refined asphaltum which in-.

cludes the following steps in the order named, first, heating said base materials under pressure, second, releasing said pressure and allowing said materials to fiow in a vertical thin film over a heated surface so that vapors may be driven 'therefrom, third, allowing the materials from which the vapors have been extracted to flow through a closed conduit, and fourth, allowing the materials to flow over the exterior of said conduit so that a further distillation takes placethere- '3 from.

8. A process of reducing asphalt c base materials to refined asphaltum which includes the following steps in the order named, first, heating said base mater als, second, allowin said materials to flow in a vertical thin fii m over a heated surface. so

that vapors may .be driven therefrom, third, A

allowing the materials from which the vapors have been-extracted to flow through a closed conduit, said materials being kept under some pressure in said conduit to pre- Vent the formation of vapors therein, and

fourth, relieving the materials from said the following steps in the order named, first,

heating said base materials under pressure, second, releasing said pressure and allowing said materials to flow in a vertical thin film over a heated surface so that Vapors may be driven therefrom, third, allowing the materials from which the vapors have been extracted to flow through a closed conduit, said materials being kept under some pressure in said conduit to prevent the formation of vapors therein, and fourth, relieving the materials from said pressure in said conduit and allowing the materials'to flow over the exterior of said conduit so that a further distillation takes place therefrom.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my' hand at Los Angeles, California, this 31st day of August, 1912.

' MILONJAMES TRUMBLE.

In presence of-- F. M. TOWNSEND,

FRANK L. A. GRAHAM. 

